Rockingham: Joey Logano series debut preview

Logano's Rockingham Run to Kick Off Biggest Month of His Career
Logano to Make ARCA Start at Rockingham Before Starting NASCAR Nationwide Career

MOORESVILLE, NC (April 29, 2008) -- Triumphs in Quarter Midgets, Bandoleros, Legends Cars, Late Models, ASA, Hooters Pro Cup and the NASCAR Regional divisions have all led Joey Logano into the most anticipated month of his career.

May -- May 24th to be exact, means Logano's 18th birthday. Teenagers typically anticipate their 18th birthday for various reasons, but Logano's ability to make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start one week later on May 31st is one of the most anticipated events not only in his life, but also for the many fans the youngster won over through his years on the short tracks of the country.

To help tune up for his May 31st NASCAR Nationwide Series debut for Joe Gibbs Racing, Logano will team up with former ARCA RE/MAX Series winner Billy Venturini and the Venturini Motorsports team for the Carolina 500 ARCA event at Rockingham Speedway (NC) on May 4th.

"We did that open test there at Rockingham about a month and a half ago," said Logano. "We left there semi-happy with the car, but I didn't feel like we were good enough yet. We went back down and we were a lot better. I was real happy with it. I feel like we've got a really good car and one that's definitely capable of winning.

"It's going to be a long race, so there's going to be a ton of strategy involved. Pit stops are going to be big. There's a lot into this race, including being sure not to wear out tires or anything, so it'll be pretty interesting."

With the May 4th ARCA race being the first time the series will run at Rockingham, what are Logano's thoughts on the track?

"The place is sick. It's just really cool. We tested there with the Cup cars and we were going 170, but it didn't feel like you were going that fast there. Apparently I was. As soon as you land in the corner, you're back in the gas trying to get down. You can hang the thing out sideways, so it's like a short track, but you've got the speed of a speedway. It's high banked and you can run the top or the bottom. It's bumpy, it's worn out -- it's perfect. I like the track a ton."

The 500-mile Rockingham event may seem like a long endurance race for the young driver, but the long-distance is nothing Logano hasn't seen before.

"A lot of those Pro Cup races were 250 laps, so I'm not new to the strategy races. I'm not really worried about that. Most of the time, I don't get going until 100 laps into the race anyways, so I actually look forward to long races like that. At a track like Rockingham, I think it'll be pretty cool to have such a long race because you can run anywhere you want around there."

By the time the month of May comes and goes, Logano will be a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. But to Logano, he's still the same kid that he's always been.

"Every day, everything's pretty much the same deal for me. I've been working out every day, so there's nothing new there. I've been testing a lot, which is cool and good for me to be at the track as often as I am. Besides that, everything's the same. I still go to go-kart tracks, still do all the stuff I always do. I'm not nervous at all. I'm confident going into it. We've definitely got one of the best cars out there. I think we're perfectly capable and ready to race with those guys. I'll probably be a little nervous race day, but I know we'll be able to race with them in the Nationwide Series. I'm just excited."

-credit: joeyloganoracing.com